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Approval to keep animals - Townsville City Council - Queensland

Description

You may need this approval to keep animals on your property, other than cats and dogs. The animals that require approval will vary according to your location but may include:

  • birds
  • poultry
  • bees
  • livestock (e.g. horses, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep).

In most circumstances you will not require approval to keep birds or poultry, as long as you do not exceed the allowed number of animals for your property size. If you intend to keep more birds or poultry than the allowed limit, you may need to apply for an approval.

You will need to ensure that any bees kept on your property will not have adverse effects on neighbours and the community.

Livestock refers to any animal that can be farmed, whether kept for farming or domestic purposes. It also includes any variants or miniatures of those animals. There may be restrictions preventing animals, such as livestock, from being kept on small lots of land.

You may not need to apply for this approval if the keeping of the animal is authorised under a development approval issued by the council or local authority.

Service type

Licence

A licence defines the need to obtain recognition / certification and registration to undertake a certain business activity.

Eligibility requirements

Your council or local authority may consider the following factors in deciding whether to grant this approval:

  • the land's physical suitability for the proposed use
  • the structural suitability of enclosures
  • the likelihood of the animals causing nuisance, inconvenience, or annoyance to the occupiers of the adjoining land
  • the likely effect on the amenity of the surrounding area
  • the likely effect on the local environment and any possible pollution or other environmental damage
  • other relevant factors to the circumstances of the case.

You may need to comply with local laws to ensure your birds and poultry remain healthy and do not become a nuisance to your neighbours or the community. Local laws may govern:

  • provision of appropriate housing and enclosures
  • storage of seeds and any other types of bird food
  • cleanliness of housing and enclosures.

There may be separate regulations on the keeping of roosters.

If you intend to keep a beehive you must register as a beekeeper with Biosecurity Queensland. Common restrictions imposed by the council or local authority in relation to beekeeping include:

  • the size of the property the bees will be housed
  • the number of hives permitted (if any).

Beehives in rural areas should not be located within 50 metres of a bus stop or an adjoining neighbour's dwelling.

Beehives in urban areas must be in a quiet area of the allotment and not directly against the neighbouring property unless a solid fence or impenetrable vegetative barrier (no less than two metres high) forms the property boundary. Hives must be kept as far away from roads, footpaths, and parks as possible.

Duration

As specified

Fees

Fees Details for this service in table format.

Task Type Business Structure Amount Description
Apply Application All $222.50

Bird permit. Fees for 2024-25
Apply Application All -

Additional fees may apply, please contact your council for information on fees to be submitted.

Forms

Act(s) name

Local Government Act 2009 Queensland

Administering agency

Townsville City Council

Contact details

Contact Email, Phone and Address Details for this service in simple two column table format, header then data.